Video content (e.g., television shows, pay-per-view (PPV) content, video-on-demand (VOD) content, etc.) may be delivered and selected in several ways. For example, television channels may be broadcast to subscribers' homes (e.g., via a set-top box (STB)) and a channel may be viewed via subscriber selection from a channel lineup. Time shifted Internet protocol (IP) television (IPTV) emulates this broadcast delivery over IP, which overcomes bottlenecks associated with lower speed access networks by sending content during time periods when there is spare capacity, or sending content at a rate slower than the playback rate as constrained by an access network bandwidth.
Over the top (OTT), or IP unicast, delivery of video content may provide video content to any connected device (e.g., televisions, computers, gaming consoles, smartphones, etc.). OTT video content may include, for example, pre-recorded video content (e.g., television episodes), and content associated with video portals provided by content providers, such as Hulu™, YouTube™, CNN, etc. As wireless network data rates improve using third generation (3G), fourth generation (4G), and WiFi technologies, video content, such as OTT video content, is becoming more popular with applications provided via smartphones (e.g., the Motorola DROID, the iPhone, etc.). Much of the video content provided by such content providers and/or applications is high bit rate content that is not optimized for wireless networks.